Weezer (Red Album)
by Weezer
  • Record Label: Geffen
  • Release Date: Jun 3, 2008
Metascore
64

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 32
  3. Negative: 5 out of 32
  1. Rolling Stone
    60
    It's rich, often funny material, but in Cuomo's ambition to make a career-sweeping tour de force-- telegraphed by the band's choice to return to estimable producer Rick Rubin--he badly overcooks the musical porridge, layering on overdubs, packing songs with key-change modulations and meandering instrumental codas, and generally refusing to hone and self-edit.
  2. NOW Magazine
    60
    Aside from a few missteps like 'Everybody Get Dangerous,' there really isn’t anything to get all pissy about here because it’s an older Weezer willing to take a few chances and still doing what they want to do.
  3. The Guardian
    60
    Weezer's third eponymously titled album sees the progenitors of emo still frantically chasing their tail.
  5. No Ripcord
    60
    Just download the good stuff or buy the album and don’t expect much from Rivers because he never really gave you more than a few minutes of cheap thrills in the first place, which is plenty to thank him for.
  6. Mojo
    60
    The Rick Rubin and Jacknife Lee-produced follow-up to 2005's "Make Believe," finds Cuomo precariously balanced btween amused/amusing self-obsessed and de facto narcissism. [July 2008, p.110]
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  7. Delusions of Adequacy
    60
    All in all, this is pretty good album and it is by no means horrible.
  8. Drowned In Sound
    50
    A number of plays through and it’s still not clear who, exactly, the band are taking the proverbial out of: themselves, playfully and absolutely intentionally, or us, fans who’ve become conditioned to not expecting the best from a band who, personally, have been a shadow of themselves since that first ‘sequel’ release.
  9. The New York Times
    50
    Over all, this new CD relies on familiar formulas: twitchy, singalong choruses, lyrical and musical in-jokes and affable vocal harmonies. But it also feels disjointed and indulgent, packed with stylistic U-turns.
  10. Blender
    50
    Weezer dwells on his well-documented obsessions with bad girlfriends and geek nostalgia, but without the usual giddy, mathematically precise songcraft.
  11. Pitchfork
    47
    Like the YouTube culture the "Pork and Beans" video depicts so well, the song--and this album--relies on a high quantity of short-lived pretty good ideas to distract from a shortage of great ones.
  12. Paste Magazine
    40
    Now we get Cuomo name-dropping Eddie Rabbit, Joan Baez and "a Cat named Stevens," which makes Weezer sounds like a retread of "Built To Spill," who did the recycled-classic-rock-cliché thing back in 1999. Did it better, too.
  13. Under The Radar
    40
    This is oddly like Carrie getting named prom queen--Weezer defying expectations with an early flurry of edgy pop tunes to start #6 with a bang, before it all goes horribly awry and the bad songs come down like a rain of blood. [Summer 2008]
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Awards & Rankings

18
#18 Most Discussed Album of 2008
39
#39 Most Shared Album of 2008

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 191 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 126 out of 191
  2. Mixed: 36 out of 191
  3. Negative: 29 out of 191
  1. ChrisA
    Aug 22, 2010
    8
    This album and its promotions were what made me a Weezer fan, and since then they have become my favourite band. A great album on its own,This album and its promotions were what made me a Weezer fan, and since then they have become my favourite band. A great album on its own, though it cannot be compared to Blue or Pinkerton. The low points are the songs not sung by Cuomo and I feel if they were replaced by some of the Deluxe tracks this could have truly been a great album.… Full Review »
  2. BlakeW
    Oct 5, 2008
    10
    First off , buy the deluxe album . If you don't you're an Idiot. Secondly , these guys are progressing on every album (minus make First off , buy the deluxe album . If you don't you're an Idiot. Secondly , these guys are progressing on every album (minus make believe). Tehy will never sound like the blue album or pinkerton ever again so the cool thing for peopel to do is bash them. but let's cut the crap, Pork and Beans was a #1 song for a while , this album is great and brings Weezer back on track from the last album that was MEH. This band is growing and people don't wanna let it grow , it's a shame. This Album kicks ass as well as the band itself.… Full Review »
  3. R
    Jun 4, 2008
    8
    I get a kick out of the critics who first say a band is not stretching their limits or trying new or innovative sounds, only to complain when I get a kick out of the critics who first say a band is not stretching their limits or trying new or innovative sounds, only to complain when they do.… Full Review »
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